 Gold never oxidizes or decays when exposed to air. Gold has been used for decoration in many areas all over the world since ancient times. In particular, gold leaf has captivated people with its special soft luster, which is different from that of solid gold, and has been used for decorating many of the world’s churches and temples. In Japan, gold leaf is an indispensable material for traditional Japanese arts and crafts such as Japanese paintings, lacquer art and ceramics, as well as decoration of Buddhist altars and statues. Gold leaf is used for decorating both the interior and exterior of Kinkaku-ji, the famous temple in Kyoto known as the Golden Pavilion. When Kinkaku-ji Temple was repaired in 1987, Kanazawa gold leaf was used.
Recently, Kanazawa gold leaf has been attracting the attention of artists in various fields such as Western painting and glass art, as a new material with great potential for creating elegance in art.
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Kanazawa flourished as a castle town of the Kaga domain (present-day Ishikawa Prefecture) in the 16th century, where arts and crafts such as Kaga-yuzen silk dyeing, Kutani ceramic ware, lacquerware and gold leaf developed under the patronage of successive lords. The gold leaf industry flourished in Kanazawa because the city had the climate and quality of water that it required. Since the 19th century, Kanazawa has been the leader of gold leaf production in Japan, surpassing Tokyo and Kyoto. Kanazawa is known as a city of gold leaf that has been preserving the industry’s techniques and culture. After World War I, the market for Kanazawa gold leaf expanded worldwide, because Germany stopped its production of gold leaf. Presently, Kanazawa leaf has the largest market share in Japan: 98% or more for gold leaf, and 100% for silver leaf and Western leaf. 